The Amazing Yaoi Faery Tale (alt. title below)
by Kimiko1
Summary: Also titled "Duo Saves Heero for Once". Just a crazy faery tale.


Title: The Amazing Yaoi Faery Tale or Duo Saves Heero For Once  
Author: Kimi-chan the Destroyer   
Email: kimiko@theunknown.com   
Fandom: Gundam Wing and various cameos   
Series: "The Gay Little Tailor" may be forthcoming if Kuroneko-muse-chan thwapz  
me with a plot.   
Archive: My site (http://www.envy.nu/blackishpink) and FF.net. Want it? We'll  
talk.   
Pairing: 1x2, implied 13x6x5   
Rating: G - practically Disney, not even a swear   
Disclaimer: I don't own the lovely GBoyz, but I do wish I did. I don't own the  
idea for the second half of the story; I ripped it off from Barbara G. Walker's  
Feminist Fairy Tales - it's called "The Descent of Shaloma" there. I don't  
think Ms. Walker could sue me, though, because she ripped it off from the  
Babylonians and their contemporaries. Anyway I'm sure not getting paid for it.  
If I got paid for writing fanfic, I wouldn't be job-hunting so desperately.   
Summary: That, dear readers, would be telling; see Author Notes following the  
fic. Evil Relena, Sap, AU, OOC Heero?  
  
~HAJIME~  
  
Not so long ago, and not so very far away, there used to be a beautiful orphan  
boy called Duo who became infatuated witha prince named Heero. Now, in those  
days the people weren't as open-minded and enlightened as you or I, and it was  
widely believed that the gods frowned upon same-sex unions; and Duo spent many  
nights lamenting his unfortunate predicament.  
  
It happened that, one day near the very end of Winter when the snowdrifts were  
just starting to melt and shrink away to make room for the new Spring grass,  
the royal heralds issued a proclamation that a grand party was to be held in  
honor of the prince's coming of age. It was whispered that his betrothal was to  
be announced at midnight. Now, Duo had heard the same stories that I'm certain  
you yourselves have heard, children, and he recalled the story where the prince  
fell in love with a beautiful peasant girl whom he met at a ball and made her  
his bride. Caught up as he was in his excitement, Duo neglected to remember  
that the ball in question hd been held in order that the prince might choose a  
bride - not to mention the nonsense concerning pumpkings and mice and  
faery-godmothers. So he began to scheme.  
  
Well, the party was to be held on the eve of the first day of Spring. (It was  
the way of things, in the old days, to hold celebrations during major events in  
the agricultural calendar.) Duo was in quite a state; he ran to his friend  
Wufei, the tailor, and begged him to make for Duo a dress as shining as the  
stars and as light as a summer breeze, promising eventual repayment. Though  
Wufei had little hope of ever seeing a coin for his work, he was one of the few  
who knew of Duo's infatuation with the prince, and he could not bear to break  
his friend's heart. (If truth be told, Wufei had cast many a glance upon a pair  
of lovely visiting noblemen, who had cast not a few glances back - but that's  
another story.)  
  
When the last day of Winter arrived, Duo returned to Wufei's shop to pick up  
his gown. It was light as air, black gauze over violet silk with silver  
embroidered trim, and it glittered like onyx and amethyst even in darkness. Duo  
thanked his friend profusely, embracing him with tears in his eyes and  
promising double the price he had specified earlier. Wufei shook his head and  
sent his friend off, eager to return to more lucrative endeavours.  
  
The night was silvered by the Full Moon, smiling down on the revelers as they  
streamed into the palace. They were dressed in black and white, silver and  
gold, and all the colours of the rainbow - but none of them sparkled like Duo,  
none of them shone bright as the pinprick stars even in the shadows. His skirts  
swirled about his ankles as he walked, light as a feather with his joy and  
hope. Each single maiden was presented to the royal family, each girl smiling  
shyly and curtseying politely. Duo was last, and he floated toward the dais and  
introduced himself simply as Duana, flashing a beatific smile at the prince.  
  
The queen, gowned slightly less splendidly than Duo himself, smiled at him and  
said, "Perhaps you might dance with this lovely young lady, Heero." [1]  
  
Heero, never a fan of state occasions or formal parties, was staring boredly  
out the window at his gardens. He half-turned, ready to decline, but his breath  
caught and his mouth hung slightly open as he gazed at the vision before him.  
He swallowed, smiled, nodded and extended his hand to Duo, standing and  
sweeping him into his arms.  
  
The two danced together for most of the evening, talking about the state of the  
kingdom and the welfare of its people. Eventually, however, Heero began to  
tire, unused to dancing for nearly so long, and the two went out upon the  
terrace to watch the river.  
  
"Your Highness," said Duo at length, "I hope you won't think me forward, but I  
have loved you from afar for weeks and months. This evening has made me so  
happy, I think nothing could tarnish it."  
  
Heero gazed out at the water, looking troubled. "I fear we cannot be together.  
At midnight my father will announce my betrothal to some woman, and I have no  
idea who she might be."  
  
Duo bit his lip. "I should have known it was too good to be true. Well, you  
would probably cast me aside when you found out what I really am, anyway."  
  
Heero smiled. "Found out what, that you're a boy? Darling, I knew it by the way  
you danced. No girl would try unconsciously and so persistently to lead. But  
your name can't be Duana, so what is it?"  
  
"It's Duo."  
  
"Duo," Heero breathed, taking the other boy's hand. "Duo, I think I'm in love  
with you." As they drew closer, intending to share a kiss, the palace's huge  
clock began to chime.  
  
"Oh, Heero, it's midnight," Duo mourned. "Now what will we do?"  
  
"Hush," said Heero, and he laid a finger against his beloved's lips. "It will  
all come right. I swear it." They returned together into the ballroom, and  
Heero ascended the dais to stand beside his parents. The king gestured for  
silence, and the dull roar of talk slowly subsided.  
  
"My son has grown into a strong, wise young man," said the king, and the people  
cheered. "Now that he is sixteen, it is time for him to take a bride. For my  
son I have chosen the Sorceress of Atlantis[2], Lady Relena!"  
  
The people cheered again as a pretty young woman clad in a pink silk gown  
ascended the dais and bowed to the royal family. "I am honoured," she said  
demurely, "to wed my prince and future king."  
  
Heero stepped forward. "No," he announced. "I will not marry this woman. I love  
another."  
  
Incensed, the sorceress got to her feet. "You dare? Then hear this," she said,  
loud and clear so all assembled could mark her words. "Before the Moon is full  
again, the prince will die." Amid the people's gasps, she swept off the dais  
and fled the hall.  
  
"This will never do," said the queen. "It is our son's right as a man grown to  
refuse the bride you have chosen for sufficient reason, my husband; but he must  
be protected! He is our only child."  
  
"Yes," said the king. "It must be so. Guards! Escort the prince to his  
chambers. Protect my son from any threat in the month to come!"  
  
"Of course, my lord," said the guards' captain; and Heero could only squeeze  
Duo's hand in a brief farewell as he was hurried from the ballroom.  
  
The next few days were hard for Duo; he felt his love's absence all the more  
for the brief time they had had together. But he knew the prince could not  
leave the palace or even his quarters - or risk the sorceress' curse.  
  
On the day of the New Moon, as every year, the nation's crops were planted. In  
those days it was the custom for a young man to be chosen by lot each Spring to  
be sacrificed so the gods would grant a favourable growing season and a  
bountiful harvest. On the steps of the main temple, the priests wheeled out the  
great pot containing strips of linen with names on them. They danced and  
chanted and spun the pot on a large wheel turned by running ponies to mix the  
names. Then, as the sun reached its zenith in the cloudless sky, the high  
priestess drew a name from the pot.  
  
"The sacrifice is..." She peered at the strip and placed her reading spectacles  
on her nose, squinting her eyes to slits in her wrinkled face. [3] "The  
sacrifice is Prince Heero!"  
  
There was a collective gasp, and then a mournful cry went up from the assembled  
crowd. The queen went white as a sheet, her mouth tight and her face strained,  
while the king fainted dead away. [4] (As ever, his personal bodyguards caught  
him.) Though no one wanted the prince to die, the gods' will had been heard,  
and so he was sent for. The ceremony was set for sunset, and the crowd  
dispersed to mourn and prepare.  
  
In a shadowy alleyway, where no one could have seen her, Lady Relena smiled and  
vanished.  
  
Duo alone remained in the square, standing in shock. When nothing moved over  
the cobblestones but wind and dust, he gathered his resolve and went to the  
high priestess.  
  
"Wise Mother," he said, "I love Heero and do not wish him to die. How can I  
prevent this sacrifice?"  
  
"You cannot, child," said the priestess. "You should not. After all, the gods  
must be appeased, and it is the prince they want this year. But there is  
something you can do."  
  
"What?" Duo leaned forward. Why wasn't she condemning him?  
  
"You must go to the Reikai yourself, girl, and bring him back."  
  
Duo blinked. The old woman, with her failing senses, had taken him for a girl.  
[5] "How can that be done? It's impossible!"  
  
The priestess smiled. "Not quite. But it is very difficult, and very  
dangerous."  
  
"I don't care! Tell me, I'll do anything!"  
  
"Then listen carefully. After the prince has been sacrificed, you must go into  
the heart-room of the temple where the gods speak to the priests. You must wear  
seven silk robes, one over the other, and nothing else; the outermost robe must  
be red, the next orange, the third yellow, the fourth green, the fifth blue,  
the sixth purple, and the innermost robe must be black. This is essential.  
There, in the heart-room, before all the gods, you must dance and dance until  
you fall into a trance and your spirit can enter the Reikai. In this state you  
will pass through the seven gates of the Reikai to petition Shinigami for the  
life of your prince. Each of the seven gatekeepers will demand one of your  
garments as payment; you must enter the Realm of Death naked as you entered the  
world or the Goddess will destroy you. Also you must bring coins to pay the  
ferrymen of the Reikai's rivers - the rivers are three in number, and the  
ferries are the only way to cross. More than that I cannot say, for I have only  
been there myself on different missions than yours."  
  
Duo thanked the priestess and went to Wufei's shop once more, pleading for the  
robes he needed. "They don't need to fit," he said, "they don't need to look  
nice, but I must have them if I am to save the prince!" Wufei agreed; and all  
afternoon he sewed while Duo cut cloth and saw to customers. It was sunset when  
the final robe was finished, and Duo dressed quickly and ran to the square.  
  
The prince was bound to the altar in front of the temple, bleeding from a dozen  
wounds, but he was still conscious. "Duo!" he cried, seeing his love. "I'm  
sorry..." His eyes rolled back in his head and his heart ceased to beat.  
  
Duo's jaw tightened. "The sorceress has won for now," he said, "but I will  
ransom you from death, my love." He ran into the temple and made his way into  
the heart-room, keeping to the shadows and avoiding minor priests who might  
object to his presence. When he reached that sacred room, he closed and barred  
the door, then began to dance.  
  
He danced until his feet were tired, he danced until his breath came in gasps,  
he danced until he was covered with sweat under the seven silk robes. Still he  
danced, as the temple incense assaulted his lungs and blackness grew at the  
edges of his vision. The pillars and statues began to waver and run together,  
and in their place he saw flickering glimpses of a vast abyss opening at his  
feet. Down into the abyss wound a path, and his spirit's feet danced along it  
as his body fell to the marble floor.  
  
When he came to the first gate he was halted by a lovely spirit with red hair  
who was clad entirely in climbing red roses, all in bloom. [6] This gatekeeper  
stood in his way and said, "You come from the land of the living. You cannot  
enter the land of the dead without paying a price."  
  
"I am prepared to pay the price," said Duo; and he took off his red robe and  
gave it to the gatekeeper. The giant red gate fell open to reveal a river of  
blood.  
  
Upon the near bank was a small boat, and in it was a hooded girl with crimson  
eyes and crimson hair. She held out her small white hand, and Duo dropped a  
coin into it before stepping into a boat.  
  
When it reached the far bank he stepped from the boat and continued dancing  
down a path of hot orange sands between walls of curiously shaped red stone. At  
the end of the path was the second gate - and the second gatekeeper, an  
immensely fat spirit with one eye and orange skin. She stopped him and said,  
"You come from the land of the living. You cannot enter the land of the dead  
without paying a price."  
  
"I am prepared to pay the price," said Duo, and he removed the orange robe and  
gave it to the gatekeeper, who opened the gate to reveal a land of heat and  
bright orange stone. A small brown glass boat was drawn up on the bank of a  
river of acid, rowed by a girl with golden hair and orange eyes. Duo gave her  
his second coin, and they crossed the river. He almost could not breathe for  
the heat of the air.  
  
The third gate was made of gold, and the gatekeeper was a tall, slender man  
with golden hair and eyes and cloaked entirely in yellow butterflies whose  
wings rustled when he moved. He stopped Duo and challenged him, and he gave him  
the yellow robe and passed through the gate into a land where sulfur fumes  
filled the air. Duo pulled his remaining robes up over his nose so that he  
could breathe.  
  
The fourth gate was made of emerald and guarded by a giant clad in leaves [7],  
to whom he gave his green robe. Beyond the gate lay a lush jungle, thick with  
vines and undergrowth, and the path was almost totally overgrown.  
  
When he had fought his way through the vines, he reached a gate of sapphire,  
glittering in the dim light, guarded by a woman spirit with long blue hair that  
covered her as well as any clothing. The gate opened into a land of blue stone  
and blue sky, where blue flowers grew on blue stems.  
  
The sixth gate was of amethyst, guarded by a velvet-clad woman whose eyes  
seemed to pierce Duo's very soul. The woman did not speak, merely held out her  
hadn for the garment and opened the gate. On the other side was a land of  
mists, gloom broken only by purple streams running across purple ground.  
  
The seventh gate looked seamless, like an obsidian wall, shining black as night  
and barely discernable against the Reikai's night sky. The gatekeeper was a  
short spirit with spiky black hair, three crimson eyes and a perpetual scowl.  
[8]  
  
"Hn," he said. "Give me the robe."  
  
Duo did as he was told.  
  
The gate opened, and on the other side he came to a black river - or lake, or  
ocean; he could not see the opposit bank. Standing on the shore was a  
blue-haired girl in a pink kimono [9], skipping rocks across the water.  
  
"Do you have a coin?" she asked cheerfully. Duo nodded, embarrassed to be naked  
before this strange woman, and handed her the coin, and she produced an oar  
from *somewhere*. She pulled him aboard and they flew across the water for what  
seemed like years but may have been seconds. The other bank was bright white  
[10], and Duo could make out no shapes. He turned to look at the black river,  
but it was gone - all there was was *light* in every direction.  
  
And suddenly, a voice.  
  
"Oh, my son." It was female and joyous and motherly, and there was a  
white-robed woman running toward him - a woman who resembled Duo himself. "I  
knew you would come home! But it is not your time. Why have you come to me?"  
  
"I...don't understand," said Duo. "Who are you?"  
  
The woman drew herself up. "I am Shinigami, the Goddess of Death, and I am your  
mother."  
  
"My mother!" Duo was overjoyed, for he knew it to be the truth, and he embraced  
his mother. "I came to ask for my love's life," he said, "but I don't know if  
you will give it to me."  
  
Shinigami blinked. "Whyever not?"  
  
"He is a man," said Duo. "Everyone knows the gods frown on such unions - " But  
he broke off, for Shinigami was laughing at him.  
  
"No," she said, "the Goddess of Love would never make two hearts to be together  
if there were anything the matter with their joining." She sobered. "It is the  
*people* who frown on these unions."  
  
"Then I can have him back?" Duo embraced his mother once more, thanking her  
again and again.  
  
"Of course," said Shinigami. "Take him and run away, somewhere you can be  
together in joy, not suffering. Take your love, my son, and be happy - I will  
see you again."  
  
The world went white again, then black, and then Duo was opening his eyes in  
the heart-room of the temple. He unbarred the door and ran out, out, to where  
his love lay bound on the altar.  
  
"Heero!" he called, as the palace clock began to chime. [11]  
  
"Duo..." The prince was weak, but he was alive. Duo released Heero from his  
bonds, and they ran together into the mountains, where they lived off the land  
together for many years until Duo's mother called for them both.  
  
It is said that every Spring, on the day of the New Moon, a purse of gold coins  
appeared mysteriously on the doorstep of Wufei's shop, though he never knew it  
- he had run off with the visiting noblemen to the Land of Oz.  
  
~OWARI~  
  
Author's Notes:   
1. You decide if the queen knows Duo's a guy or not.   
2. I love my high priestess. She's cool.   
3. Atlantis: the sank kingdom (as opposed to the Cinq Kingdom). Tee-hee. ^^()   
4. Starring JohnnyDepp!Ichabod Crane as the king!   
5. Again, you decide if she knows he's a guy.   
6. Starring Kurama as the first gatekeeper!   
7. Starring the Jolly Green Giant as the fourth gatekeeper! (I didn't do it, it  
was Ms. Walker.)   
8. Starring Hiei as the last gatekeeper!   
9. Starring Botan as the third ferrygirl!   
10. In Asian and Celtic mythology, white is the colour of death.   
11. It's chiming midnight; they wouldn't be able to get away at dawn.   
12. The Summary (since I think it's cute): Boy sees prince, boy wants prince,  
boy dresses in drag to win prince, jealous sorceress curses prince, prince gets  
sacrificed, boy saves prince, boy and prince go offscreen to shag like bunnies  
(and Wufei gets some, too). 


End file.
